behold

Meanings

Verb

• To see or look at, esp. appreciatively; to descry, look upon.
• To look.
• To contemplate.

Interjection

• look, a call of attention to something
• lo!

Origin

• From Middle English beholden, from Old English behealdan ("to hold, have, occupy, possess, guard, preserve, contain, belong, keep, observe, consider, behold, look at, gaze on, see, signify, avail, effect, take care, beware, be cautious, restrain, act, behave"), from Proto-West Germanic *bihaldaną ("to hold with, keep"), equivalent to be- + hold. Cognate with Saterland Frisian behoolde, Dutch behouden ("to keep, restrain, preserve"), German behalten ("to keep, restrain, remember"), Danish and Norwegian beholde ("to keep") and Swedish behålla ("to keep").